Loom for weaving tufted fabrics.



No. 682,548. Patented Sept. l0, I901. C. HUGHES. Loom' FOB WEAVING TUFTED FABRIBS.

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No. 682,548. Patented Sept. I0, I90]. 0. HUGHES.

LOOM FUR WEAVING TUFTED FABRICS.

(Application filed Mar. 26, 1901.)

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No. 682,548. Patented Sept. 10, I901.

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No. 682,548. Patented Sept. H), mm.

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L00" FOB WEAVING TUFTED FABRICS.

(Application filed Mar. 28, 1901.)

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No. 682,548. Patented Sept. [0, mm.-

cpnueuss. LOOM FOR WEAVING TUFTED FABRICS.-

(Application filed Mar. 26, 1901.)

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Jaye/afar ting mechanisms and to preventsaid mechaninto the warp. So long as the key is kept knottin g mechanism isautomatically stopped.

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-thereof, and the said ends are then brought keyboard controlled by the operator, a clutch UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

CHARLES HUGHES, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.-

v 'LOOM FOR WEAVINZ'G 'TUFTED FABRICS.

SPEGIFIQATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 682,548, dated September 10, 1901.

Application filed March 26, 1901'. Serial No. 52,997. (No model.) I I Be it known that I, CHARLES HUGHES, a subject of the King of Great Britain,'residing at London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Looms for Weaving Tufted Fabrics, of which the following is a specification. i

This inventionrelates to looms for weaving Turkey carpets and like tufted fabrics:

Heretofore a method of manufacturing Turkey carpets has been employed wherein the yarn of the desired colors for forming the successive tufts or knots is fed from bobbins and laid across the threads of the ground chain or warp, and after a piece of yarn. of the required length has been cutoff the ends of the said piece are pushed through the warp, so as to inclose two or more of the threads together beneath the Warp and drawn up between the said threads, thus forming the knot The different colored yarns from the various bobbins are passed through a slide, which is adjusted as required after the formation of each knot for the purpose of properly selecting the yarn of the right color for the next knot, as may he demanded by the pattern. By the present invention the same object is accomplished by novel mechanism, which onables a much larger number of different-colored yarns to be used for producing the pattern. The colors are selected by means of a mechanism being provided to control the starting and stopping of the feeding and knotisms from working otherwise than incon j unction with the keyboard. The keyboard aforesaid in one arrangement has" a key appropriated to each color of yarn used for the be drawn out and cut off. The depression ofthe key also starts the mechanism for cutting off a piece of said yarn and knotting the same depressed a knot is formed for each revolution of the driving-shaft of the knotting mechanism,-and as soon as the key is released the the level of the ground chain or warp 4 by In another arrangement each key is arranged to control two or more colors. The said im proved apparatus enables'ithe loom to work at a'greater speed than heretofore, as the changes can be made from one color to another muchmOrerapidly than is the case with the apparatus heretofore employed, and the feeding and knotting mechanisms work more quickly, besides which there is greater ease in working, the operator being able to start and stop and select the proper colors by a single operation of one hand, while leaving the other free. p

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, Wherein Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan of.

the same,-and Fig. 3 is an under side view of a portion of the apparatus. Fig. 4 is adiagrammatic view showing how the machine is raised to allow of a pick being taken. Fig.

- 5 is a view of the knotting mechanism,sl1owing the knot partially formed. Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of the apparatus for selecting the yarns to be used in the knot. Figs.

8 and 9 are detail viewsin side and rear elevation, respectively, of the knotting-tweezers. Fig. 10 is a front view of the plates for passing the yarns downward through the warp. Fig. 11 is a detail view of the cam and levers for operating the feeding-gripper. Fig.

- 12 is a detail View of the means for control ling said feedinggripper. Fig. 13 is a def-8 tail of the cams and rods for operating-the shears and knotting-tweezers. Fig. 14 is a detail view of the catch and connected parts for stopping and starting the feeding and knotting mechanisms. Fig. 15 is a detail 9s view of the gear forfeeding the machine intermittentlyacross the loom. Figs. 16 and 17 are details ofa modified form of apparatus for selecting the yarns, and Fig. 18 illustrates g a further modified form of segment-wheel 5 hereinafter described.

Like figures of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views. a r

- In carrying out the present invention I pro.-

vide a frame 1,-Fig. l, supporte'd by rollers 10o. 2 2, running on rails 3 3 and arranged to be traversed, after the formation of each knot, a short distance across the loom just above means hereinafter described. In such movement the frame 1 also slides on rods 6 6, carried by another frame 7, for a purpose that will presently appear. In the frame 1 is mounted a horizontal shaft 8, hereinafter referred to as the driving-shaft, running parallel with the direction of the warpthreads and serving to convey motion to the various mechanisms which perform the operations of feeding and knotting. On the said shaft is loosely mounted a driving-pulley 9, which is continuously rotated, preferably by a rope, as shown. Said rope takes a complete turn around the pulley 9 and passes over pulleys arranged one at each side of the loom, one of which is the driver. The pulley 9 drives the shaft 8, preferably by means of a spring-controlled catch 10, hinged to the pulley and engaging with a tooth 11, Figs. 1 and 14, of a disk 12, fixed on the shaft 8. Said catch is thrown out of action by a triplever, hereinafter described, when the feeding and knotting mechanisms are required to stop.

At the front end of the driving-shaft 8 is an ordinary crank or a crank-disk 13, to which is connected a rod 14 for communicating motion to a vertical bar 15, Figs. 1 and 2, which slides up and down in a guide 16. The lower end of this sliding bar 15 carries a pair of thin plates 71, Figs. 1 and 10, whose function is to convey the two ends of the piece of yarn which is to form the knot down through the ground-warp on the outside of two adjacent ground-threads ready to be pulled up between the said two threads by the knottingtweezers 17, which are arranged just in front of the aforesaid sliding bar 15. The plate 70 is rigidly fixed to the bar 15; but the other plate 71 is pivoted at 72, Fig. 10, and has an upward'extension or arm 73, which is pressed by a spring 74 against a stationary stop 75, having an inclined face at its lowerend. As the bar 15 completes its downward movement the arm 73 slides down the inclined face of the stop 75, whereupon the spring 74 operates to close the plate 71, and so brings the ends of the yarns together beneath the warp. The bar 15 also controls apair of nippers 76 77, Figs. 1 and 5, carried by a rod 78, which can slidein guides 79, 179, and81. The guides 79 and 81 are fixed to the sliding bar 15, while the guide 179 is fixed to the stationary guide 16 of the sliding bar 15. At the lower end of the rod 78 is a block 80, which rests upon the guide 81 during such time as the plates 70 and 71 are above the ground-threads and is pressed thereon by a spring 82, compressed between block and the guide 179. Then the bar 15 descends, the nippers 76 77 descend with it until a collar 83 on the rod 78 rests upon the stationary guide 179, whereupon the further downward movement of the bar 15 is continued without the nippers, the lower ends of which remain just above the level of the warp-threads. The nipper-jaw 77 is pivoted at 84, and said jaw has an upward extension 85, which is pressed against a stationary incline 86 by a spring 87. Said incline S6 is shaped to allow the jaw 77 to close and nip the yarn directly the same has been drawn across the warp, as hereinafter described, and the yarn is held by the nippers 76 and 77 while the required length of yarn for making the knot is out chi, and the ends are pushed down through the warp ready to be seized by the tweezers 17, Figs. 1, 5, 8, and 9. The spring 87 is so adjusted that the jaw 77 exerts just sufficient pressure to control the piece of yarn until the ends of the yarn are gripped by said tweezers, and in the upward movement of the tweezers the yarn is pulled out from nippers 76 and 77. The tweezers 17 are carried by a plate 18, which is pivoted'at 19 and connected by a link 20 to one end of a lever 21, pivoted at The other end of said lever 21 is connected by a link 23 to a cam 24, Figs. 1, 5, and 13, fixed on the shaft 8, and is actuated by said cam in such a manner as to cause the tweezers to oscillate about their pivot 19. Thejaws of the tweezers are mounted with a capability of turning in the plate 18, so that they can open and close. The opening of the tweezer-jaws after the same have passed through the warp is effected by an arm or lever 25, Figs. 1, 8, and 9, which is attached to the stem of one of the jaws and which in the downward movement of the tweezers meets a pivoted inclined plane 26, Figs. 8 and 9,and in sliding over same is thereby moved laterally. The jaws are further controlled by short arms 27 28, Fig. 9, working together, so that when the jaw connected to the arm 25 is turned about its pivot the arm 27 of said jaw presses against the arm 28 of the other jaw, and so turns the second jaw in unison with the first. A spring 29 tends to close the jaws. The descent of the tweezers takes place simultaneously with the descent of the plates 70 71, aforesaid, and immediately they reach their lowest'position the actuating arm 25 escapes past the end of the incline 26, thereby releasing the jaws, which are then closed suddenly by the spring 29. In closing, the jaws, as shown in Fig. 5,'seize the ends of the piece of yarn which have been conveyed through the warp and drawn together by the plates 70 71, as above described. The tweezers then begin their upward movement and in so doing draw the ends of the yarn up through the warp, and thus form the knot. A fixed incline 31, Fig. 8, operating upon the arm 25, causes the jaws to open as they complete their upward movement, thereby releasing the ends of the yarn. The pivoted incline 26 moves out of the way of the tweezer-arm 25 during the return movement of said arm.

The starting and stopping of the drivingshaft 8 and the selection of the colors to be employed in forming the pattern are controlled by a keyboard containing a number of key-levers 40, Figs. 1 and 2,somewhat similar to those of a type-writer, each key-lever IIS being appropriated to its own special colored yarn, the color of which may be indicated on the key. The depression of any one of the keys brings to the operative position the particular yarn appropriated to that key, and also at the same time starts the feeding and knotting mechanisms by allowing the catch to engage with the tooth 11 of the disk 12. For this purpose a pivoted lever 41, Fig. 2, is provided, the front end of which projects underneath the key-levers and the rear end of which is connected by a link 42, Fig. 14, to one end of a pivoted lever 43, the other end of which is furnished with an inclined surface 44. At each revolution of the pulley 9 the catch 10, Figs. 1, 2, and 14, rides up said in- 'clined surface 44 and is thereby raised and prevented from engaging with the tooth 11 of the disk 12; but should any of I the key-levers 40 be depressed the levers 41 and-43 will be thereby tilted,thus depressing the inclined surface 44 below the path of the catch 10, whereupon said catch 10, not being raised, will engage with the tooth 11 ofthe disk 12, and so rotate said disk and start the feeding and knottin g mechanisms,.the clutch remainiug engaged so long as the key is depressed.

If the key indicating red, for example, is depressed, the red yarn will be brought into the operative position, the feeding and knotting mechanisms will be started, the yarn will be drawn across the warp-threads, a portion will be cut off, and this portion will be knotted in the manner above described, the operations being repeated for every revolution of the driving-shaft so long as the key remains depressed, but stopping as soon as the key is released. r

, The device for placing the various-colored yarns in position as required comprises a segment-wheel 47, Figs. 6 and 7, having perforations 48 in it, through which the various yarns are threaded. segment-wheel is arranged at right angles to the warp-threads, and the said wheel is arranged so that its weight tends to return it to its initial position when moved therefrom or it is returned by a spring 173. To the axis 49 of the segment-Wheel 47 is fixed a wide arm 50, against the under side of which the tail ends of all the key-levers 4O bear. When one of the keys is depressed, the tail end of the key-lever presses against the arm 50'and operates to turn the segment-wheel through a suitable angle. The key-levers 40 are so pivoted (for example, at varying distances from the axis of the segment-wheel or from the arm 50) that the different levers when depressed operate to turn the segment-wheel by different amounts, and thus bring different yarns to the operative position. The bobbins 52, Fig. 6, containing the diEerent-colored yarns, are carried by the frame 1, as shown in Fig. 6, or in anyother suitable position, and the same may be furnished with brakes to prevent them from turning too freely. A

I cam-like pivoted catch 53, Fig. 6, is provided The axis 49 of the said to'prevent the backward movement of each yarn through the segment-wheel after the same has been drawn forward. The catch allows the yarn to be drawn forward freely; but should any backward pull be exerted on the yarn the catch will nip the yarn against the wheel, as indicated in Fig. 6, and resist such backward pull. For drawing the yarn forward a pair of grippers is provided, consisting of an arm 55, Figs. 1 and 3, pivoted at 56, and a jaw 57 pivoted on said arm. The arm is oscillated just above the warp by a cam 58, Figs. 1 and 11,on the drivingshaft 8, operating through a lever 59, pivoted to a bracket 60 and coupled at its lower end to a rod 61, which is connected to the arm 55. The grippers at the proper time seize the protruding end of that yarn which by the move ment of the segment-wheel has been brought to the operative position and draws the same across the warp-threads, after which a pair of shears or a knife operates to cutoff a por tion of such yarn. The jaws of the grippers are controlled'by the device shown in Fig. 12, which comprises a fixed incline 65 and a pivoted incline 66, normally kept up against a stop-pin 266 by a spring 67. A stop pin 267 regulates the distance that the incline 66 can be depressed. The jaw 57 (which is normally kept closed by the spring 64, Fig. 1) of the gripper is opened during the forward movement of the arm 55 by the tail end 63 of said jaw passing underneath the pivoted incline 66. Directly the arm 55 reaches the endof its forward movement the tail end 63 is forced upward by the spring 64 past the end of the r brought into position by the-depression of one of the keys. As the arm 55 movesbackward the tail end 63 passes along the top side of the pivoted incline 66, depressing same upon the stop-pin 267, the amount of such depression being regulated so as to causethe jaw 57 to be tightly closed upon the yarn which it is drawing across the ground-threads from the segmentalwheel 47. As the arm 55 reaches the end of its backward movement the tail end 63 engages with the fixed incline 65 and opens the jaw 57 against the pressure of the spring 64, thusreleasing the yarn directly it has been gripped by grippers 76 and 77. The operations are then repeated.

The shears 90, Figs. 1 and 3, for cutting off the length of yarn are pivoted M91 and are actuated by a cam 92, Fig. 13, on the shaft 8 operating through a rod '93, lever 94, and link The rear ends of the shear-blades are prises a toothed wheel 100, Figs. 2 and 15,

mounted on a spindle-101, carriedby the Y frame 1 and gearing with a rack 102, fixed in the frame 7, Fig. 1. On the said spindle 101 is fixed a worm-wheel 103, with which is geared a worm 104, fixed on a shaft 105, rotatable in bearings 106 in the frame 1. On the end of the shaft 105 is a star-wheel 107, which is turned intermittently by pins 108, projecting from a boss 109 on the drivingshaft 8. The framel is thus moved after the formation of each knot a suitable distance across the warp and a fresh knot is made, the operations being repeated until a row of knots has been completed all across the width of the fabric.

up and down guides 110, "Fig. 4-, and be balanced by weights 111, attached to cords 112, passing over guide-pulleys 113. The rods 6 6 extend the full width of the loom, and the frame 1 can thus travel across the loom on said rods and be raised at anydesired time to allow of a pick being taken. The next row of knots is to save time made in the reverse order, for which purpose the wormshaft 105 must turn inthe reverse direction. This may be effected by shifting the boss 109 by hand along the shaft 8 to cause the pins 108 to act on the other side of the star-wheel 107,01 the said boss may be shifted auto matically as follows-that is to say, :the boss may have an annular groove 115, Figs. 1 and 2, in its periphery, with which groove is engaged a pin 116, fixed in an arm 117, carried by apin 118. To another short arm 119, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, on said pin is-coupled a lever 120, pivoted at 121. WVhen the frame reaches the end of its travel, apin 122 on the lever 120 presses against a fixed stop-on the loom and the lever is turned through a suitable angle, thereby slidingthe boss 109 along the shaft and reversing'the movement of the frame when the key-levers are next depressed.

=Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate a segmental wheel for twelve colors of yarn. The number of colors may be increased, if desired, as follows-that is to'say, two or more segmental arcs may be connected together on a common arm, Figs. 16 and 17, which arm is slotted and can be raised and lowered by a change key-lever 131, so as to bring anydesired are into the operative position. Each segmental arc is furnished with its own set of colors, and the common arm is oscillated as above described with reference to Figs. 6 and 7. Instead of a common arm having two or more arcs projecting from it a plate may be employed with two or more rows of holes formed in it at different heights, as shown in Fig. '18, so that by raising or lowering the plate any row of holes can be brought to the operative position. In this construction the same key controls two colors and by providing three or more rows of holes it can be made to control When arow of knots is completed, the whole apparatus is raised to' allow of a pick being made by the shuttle of: the loom in the usual manner. For this pur-i pose the frame 7 may be arranged to travel three or more colors. This construction, more over, allows of the rows of holes being made very close together.

XVhat I claim is 1. In a loom for weaving Turkey carpets and similar fabrics, the combination of a perforated oscillatory segment through which the differently-colored yarns to be employed for knotting are threaded, feed mechanism for said yarns, a keyboard having a key appropriated to each perforation of the said segment and serving to control the segment so as by depressing a key the yarn corresponding'thereto is broughtopposite the feed mechanism, and knotting mechanism for knotting the yarns, substantially as described.

2. In a loom for weaving Turkey carpets and similar fabrics, the combination of a perforated oscillatory segment through which :the differently-colored yarns to be employed for knotting are threaded, an arm on said segment, a keyboard comprising a series of pivoted key-leversthe tail ends of which bear against the arm aforesaid, means whereby the depression of the difierent keysturnsthe segment through different amounts, and feeding and k-notting mechanisms, substantially as described.

3. In a 100111 for weaving Turkey carpets and similar-fabrics, the combination of aper-' forated oscillatory segment through which the difierently-colored yarns to be employed for knotting are threaded, an arm on said segment, a keyboard comprising a seriesof pivoted key-levers the tail ends of which bear against the arm aforesaid, saidkey-levers being pivoted at-diiferent distances from the arm so that the depression of the different keys turns the segment through difierent amounts, and feeding and knotting mechanisms, substantially as described.

4. In a loom for weaving Turkey carpets and similarfabrics, the combination of aperforated oscillatory segment through which the differently-colored yarns to be employed for knotting are threaded, feed mechanism for said yarns, a keyboard having a key appropriated to each-perforation of the said segment and serving to control the segment so as by depressing'a key the yarn corresponding thereto is brought opposite the feed mechanism, knotting mechanism for knotting the yarns, a pivoted lever arranged in combina- IIO 107 which drives the wheel 100, and means for sliding the segment 109 along the drivingshaft to gear with the opposite side of the starwheel, when a row of knots is completed, substantially as described.

6. In a loom for weaving Turkey carpets and similar fabrics, the combination with the knotting-carriage of means for traversing said carriage across the warp-threads, said means comprising a stationary rack 102, toothed wheel 100 mounted on the carriage and engaging with said rack, a toothed segment 109 on the driving-shaft actuating a star-wheel 107 which drives the wheel 100, a lever 117 having a pin-and-slot connection with the segment 109 and pivoted. on a pin 118, an arm 119 on said pin, a lever 120 pivoted at 121 to the carriage, and connected to the arm 119, and a pin 122 on said lever 120 which pin 122 meets a stop on the loom-frame at the end of the traverse and thus slides the segment 109 on the driving-shaft, and reverses the movement of the carriage, substantially as described.

feeding and knotting mechanisms of shears 90 pivoted at 91 and coupled together by links 96, 97, 98, a driving-shaft, and a cam on said driving-shaft for operating said shears, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES HUGHES.

Witnesses:

GEORGE HARRISON, HENRY W. LYNDEN. 

